PRINCETON, N.J. – A late third-period rally fell short for the Dartmouth women’s hockey team Saturday afternoon as the Big Green fell, 3-2, to Princeton at Hobey Baker Rink.

The loss snapped a three-game unbeaten streak for the Green and White (7-15-1, 6-10-1) at Princeton, while the Tigers (11-9-3, 7-7-2) swept the season series and earned two crucial points in the ECAC Hockey playoff race.

Trailing by two goals late in the third, Dartmouth pulled within one as Eleni Tebano scored on the power play. Tebano’s tally marked the second game in a row that a freshman defenseman netted their first career goal for the Big Green. Sophomore Lindsey Allen set the play up with a nice centering pass and Tebano fired a shot from the slot past Princeton netminder Kimberly Newell.

With under three minutes left in regulation, the Green were called for a pair of penalties. Trailing, 3-2, Dartmouth caught a break as Newell was whistled for high sticking. With an empty net and the extra attacker, the Big Green’s last-ditch effort fell by the wayside as a pass from the corner went untouched and out of the offensive zone as time expired.

After playing scoreless for the first 18 minutes of action, Princeton got on the board first as Brianne Mahoney potted her first of the season. Just 49 seconds later, Dartmouth answered as Laura Stacey tied the game at one. Allen won the puck in the corner and fed Stacey, who fired a shot off Newell’s shoulder and in.

The two Ancient Eight rivals played a scoreless second period and the Tigers took a 2-1 lead 30 seconds into the third. Jaimie McDonell took a feed from Denna Laing and beat Big Green goaltender Lindsay Holdcroft. Four and a half minutes later, Laing was at it again, this time scoring the eventual game winner for Princeton.

Holdcroft made 25 saves in a losing effort, while Newells stopped 24 shots to earn her ninth victory of the season.

With the loss, Dartmouth falls to 1-5-1 in Ivy League play, while the Tigers improved to 4-3-0.

The Big Green return to the Upper Valley next Friday, Feb. 7, for an ECAC Hockey and Ivy League showdown with nationally ranked Harvard.